If Only
by beautiful-apple
Summary: Will Lauren and Joey get back together after Joey leaves?


Joey and Lauren

**If Only**

"If Only" Lauren was thinking 'If Only' Derek wasn't here her and Joey could be together. Derek wouldn't have hold over them about the crash, Lauren was tempted many times to go to the police and tell the truth, but she figured Joey was doing the right thing by her. She just wished that Joey would come back. He left a couple of weeks ago when Derek had blackmailed him again. Then last week Tanya told her that Joey still loved her and that he was only leaving due to being blackmailed by Derek. She was mad at her mum for not telling her but then she realised she was only trying to protect her. She was angry at Joey but she couldn't hold that against him because she loved him and now she knew that he loves her to. It was Derek that she wanted to kill.

Lauren was walking around around the square when she saw him, she just walked right past him but he stopped to talk her, she sighed.

"Hello Lauren, how's my favourite niece then?" Derek asked

"Fine" Lauren said as she starated to walk away again

"Hold up, where do you think you are going?" Derek questioned

"To the Cafe to find Whitney, why do you care?"

"I just thought you might like to know how Joey is and where he is"

Lauren almost wanted to say yes but knew she couldn't so she lied, "I already know where he is but I don't really care anyway" Lauren rushed away but she didn't go to the cafe to find Whitney she instead ran to the park and sat on the swings where her and Joey used to sit together to get away from things.

She started to cry just as Alice walked past, Alice rushed over to her and asked her what the matter was. "I miss him Al" Lauren said

Alice looked confused, "What Joey?"

"Yeah" Lauren fell into Alice's arms and started crying even harder. She started to explain everything that happened between them. Alice didn't look angry or anything she looked relieved. She had wondered why Joey was different lately, she thought there was something wrong with him or he hard got into some trouble. She was glad he had found a girl, and she guessed he really loved her but she couldn't work out why he had left other than Derek's blackmail. She knew he really did love Lauren.

Alice knew what she had to do. "Hey Joey, Lauren has told me everything about you two, if you love her as much as I think you do, I know why you left, but you need to come back, she is a mess Joey and I'm pretty sure she is going to start drinking again. She needs you Joey, she changed when she was with you for the good and so did you. You have never been like this with anyone else. You really love her don't you, I don't care that you're cousins and if you leaving has anything to do with Derek, this is it, i will leave, but call me back when you get this"

Lauren was now sat in the pub, to the amazement of herself she hadn't had a drink yet. She was just sat there thinking about Joey, trying to work out away to get him back to Walford.

That's when he walked through the door, he walked straight over to her, grabbed her by the wrist and kissed her. It didn't stop there either he pulled her in and pushed her against the wall, she was running her hands through his hair. They pulled away from each they both had this intense look on their faces, but they hadn't realised that their whole family had just walked in. They didn't care about the rest of the pub knowing but their family were not meant to find out this way. Max was walking over to Joey looked like he was about to punch him but Lauren got in front of him to stop her dad from touching him.

"Dad, I can explain" Lauren shouted

"You better" You could hear the anger in Max's voice

Max grabbed Joey's shoulder and pushed him outside, he stumbled over and Lauren helped him up.

The rest of the family came out of the pub. Tanya just stood towards the back of them.

"c'mon then I'm waiting for your excuses" Max shouted

Lauren was trying to think of something to say and was looking at Joey and then she said it.

"I love him"

"I love her"

They said it in unison, they just looked at each other and smiled.

"YOU CAN'T LOVE EACH OTHER YOU ARE COUSINS" Max screamed, the whole square stopping what they are doing and turning to listen

"Uncle Max, let me explain, me and Lauren know we are cousins, but we weren't brought up together and that is the only thing I can ever thank Derek for. I knew when I first met Lauren that she was something special, but I didn't act on my feelings because I didn't know how she felt about me, so that's why I got together with Lucy. But I knew what I had with Lucy wouldn't last and that I loved Lauren. Then when Derek found out about us, we decided to run away together but then we crashed and he forced me to break up with her, these past few weeks have killed me not being with Lauren, Max I would never do anything to hurt your daughter, I love her" Joey took a breath from saying all that and looked at Lauren.

"Look Dad, you wern't meant to find out like this, we are still getting our heads around this, but I'm glad you found out, now none of us have got to keep this secret from you. Me and Joey can be together and we don't care what people think of us, we are doing nothing illegal, and it feels right. And if you took a mintute away from your wedding and actually spoke to me or something, you would of noticed how happy I have been when I was with him, I didn't drink the whole time I was with him, I had no reason to." Lauren exclaimed

Joey just stared and smiled at her

"What do you mean 'none of us' who else knew?" Max pondered

"Mum knew" Lauren just realised what she said, she had just dropped her mum right in it but then she didn't care because it was done to her and Derek that they couldn't be together.

"Tan, is this true, did you know about them?" Max asked

"Well yeah, but I told them to break up and they had so I thought nothing more of it. Most of it was Derek anyway, he had been blackmailing all of us." Tanya said this just as Derek was walking towards them.

"Well well well what do we have here" Derek asked looking at Joey and Lauren holding hands.

"Just go away Derek, you have done enough" Max said

"What do you mean?" Derek asked

"I mean that you have teared this family apart, made Tanya's life hell as soon as you got here, and then splitting up Lauren and Joey, and making yourself best man at MY wedding, you have ruined our lives, no wonder Joey doesn't want to be your son." Max exclaimed.

"Hang are you saying that you are okay with me and Joey?" Lauren was smiling at Joey as she said this

"I'm not saying that I am 100% happy with this but, I give you my blessing, I have seen how much happier you have been when you were with him, and I don't think you have had a drink apart from when you broke up and that is all down to Derek" Max was looking at both Lauren and Joey as he said it.

Lauren ran up to her dad and have him a hug. She then looked back at Joey and smiled ran up to him and gave him a kiss. They then excused themselves and ran all the way home.

They got in the door Joey pushed Lauren up against the wall, Lauren started to pull Joey's jacket off, Joey pulled back for air and looked at Lauren they both nodded and Lauren led the way upstairs into her room. Joey stopped at the top of the stairs pushed Lauren against the wall and Lauren wrapped her legs around his waist, both of them wanting more and trying to fight the dominance of the kiss. Joey opened the door of Lauren's bedroom with Lauren's legs still wrapped around him, he placed her on her bed gently, he reluctantly took his lips off hers and started to take off her top, she also started to work at unbuttoning his shirt. She lifted her arms as her lifted her shirt off, and he done the same both shirts falling to the floor. He started kissing her stomach, she was pulling at his hair, she pulled him back up to her mouth, smiling as she did so.

She grabbed his belt and started to undo it, she then took off his trousers her stood up to take them off. He then pulled down her trousers and she kicked them off. They were both now in just their underwear. Joey started with Lauren's bra lifting her up brining her close to him, he could feel their skins touching, the feel was electrifying. He chucked her bra onto the floor, they continued to kiss, the kiss intensifying all the time. Joey was now playing with Lauren breasts kissing them as her made Isis way down her stomach, little moans leaving her mouth as he got down to her pants he lifted her legs up and pulled them off.

He took his boxers off and entered her, picking up speed as he done so, loolder moans leaving Lauren's mouth, knowing she was enjoying it he slowed down to annoy her, it worked, she slapped him on the arm. He continued tmovie in and out of her, he lent down and kissed her, both of them reaching their climax. Joey fell onto the bed next to her. Lauren turned over and so did Joey both of them looking into each others eyes.

"You know I'm still mad at you" Lauren laughed as she said this giving what just happend Joey looked shocked.

"I know I shouldn't have left, but I dome it to protect you, I love you Lauren Marie Branning"

"It's okay, I just wish you would of come back sooner, I love you too Joseph John Branning"

Both of them laying there not wanting this moment to end, that's when they heard the front door go, Lauren and Joey quickly got dressed and walked downstairs hand in hand.

"I guess you have made up then" Max asked

"Yeah we're fine, how about you and mum?" Lauren wondered

"Don't worry about us, I can't really hold this against her, after everything I have done to this family" Max said

"Are you sure you are alright with me and Lauren?" Joey asked Max

"I can see how happy you make Lauren and how good you are together, but if you do anything out of line or hurt Lauren in the slightest, you are out of this house" Max exclaimed

"Are you saying that he can move back in?" Lauren asked

"Of course, we can't have you living over with Derek, and if Alice wants to move in aswell she can, she can go in with Abbi and you and Joey can go in the spare bedroom" Max explained

"Thankyou Max I really appreciate this!" Joey and Lauren looked at each and smiled

Joey took Lauren's hand and they made their way into the living room where Oscar was sat playing with his stuff. Joey smiled at Lauren as they watched Oscar play with his stuff.

"Do you like kids" Lauren curiously asked Joey

"Yeah I love them, I especially like babies, I like how small they are when they are first born, why?" Joey looked at Lauren with deep confusion

"Joey promise me you won't freak out, but I'm pregnant" Lauren turned away from Joey as she said this

"Really?" Joey looked surprised but excited

"Yeah I was going to tell you at the hospital after the crash, because that's when I found out, but then you broke up with me" tears started to fall down Lauren's face. Joey got his thumbs and rubbed them away and pulled her into a tight hug. He then lent down and kissed her stomach.

"I love you Lauren, baby or no baby, I'm not going anywhere" Joey explained

Joey and Lauren were extremely happy with their new life toghter, they didn't care about who knew about them, they were happy not even Derek could bring them down.


End file.
